Start an argument with a winemaker; bring up the term "smoke taint." It refers to the effect on wine grapes of being exposed to wildfire smoke for prolonged periods, as many grapes (and people) in our region were last fire season.
The best minds in the wine business are on the case, including the Viticulture & Enology department at the University of California-Davis. The Rogue Valley Winegrowers Association is also focused on it.We bring in V & E expert Anita Oberholster and RVWA President John Pratt to explore the true causes and effects of smoke taint as now understood, how it is measured, and what can be done about it.
